The visas are not separate pieces of paper. They are stamped onto a page in the passport. A form with spaces for dates, etc., to be filled in by Russian consular offical at the time the visa is issued. They are not separate from the US passport.

I have seen visas before, and I know they are permanently attached to a page in your passport. There was a point to why I was pointing it out - the visa being the hardest part to get when you've lost it.

Many times that I have travelled I have put my passport in my itinerary - usually a tri-folded piece of white computer paper - and the passport is exactly the right size to fit in it. I did this to avoid having my passport easily seen by someone who might later try to pick pocket it off of me. I was taught to do this on my first tour to Spain by the travel agent. My DH's family also does this for the same reason, and my MIL said they've been doing it for years.

The visas are not separate pieces of paper. They are stamped onto a page in the passport. A form with spaces for dates, etc., to be filled in by Russian consular offical at the time the visa is issued. They are not separate from the US passport.

I know visas aren't separate pieces of paper. I didn't mean that the object looked like loose pieces of paper, I meant paper as in in flat and rectangular... and like the poster above said, they could have put their passports insider something else. I just think it would make no sense for this detail to be shown and specifically singled out with the screw up music unless it was important. And since it wasn't important in this episode, my guess is it's foreshadowing for the next.

Did anyone else notice how, when Nick/Starr arrived at the bakery, the taxi driver tried to hand them something (looked like papers) and they just walked away in a hurry? This was accompanied by the rattlesnake sound effect they use when teams are screwing up, but it didn't come up again at all during the rest of the ep. I'm thinking it's basically a case of Chekov's gun, it has to be important at some point... so I think that it was Nick and Starr leaving their passports behind at that moment.

Of course, that doesn't match up with reports of Nick/Starr being spotted in Portland...

I don't recall any sightings of Nick and Starr in Portland?

anyway the clues, again

*One Team makes an unprecedented mistake that prohibits them from joining their fellow Racers at the finish line*ONE TEAM MAKES AN UNPRECEDENTED MISTAKE ON THE ROAD THAT COSTS THEM DEARLY*the 13th season will include a series of firsts for the reality competition, including a mistake that ultimately prohibited one team from joining their fellow racers at the finish line*and one Team makes an unprecedented mistake on the road that ultimately prohibits them from joining their fellow Racers at the finish line.**Phil: one team lost some important documentation and some valuables that was ultimately detrimental to their situation in the race, not good not good at all", and then "we make sure everybody gets home safe and sound".** BVM: In addition, the season also happened to play out as one of the few The Amazing Race editions in which one of the competing teams failed to make it to the course's finish line -- an unexpected development that was welcomed by van Munster. "I like it when people don't make it to the finish line," he said

Did anyone else notice how, when Nick/Starr arrived at the bakery, the taxi driver tried to hand them something (looked like papers) and they just walked away in a hurry? This was accompanied by the rattlesnake sound effect they use when teams are screwing up, but it didn't come up again at all during the rest of the ep. I'm thinking it's basically a case of Chekov's gun, it has to be important at some point... so I think that it was Nick and Starr leaving their passports behind at that moment.

Of course, that doesn't match up with reports of Nick/Starr being spotted in Portland...

I don't recall any sightings of Nick and Starr in Portland?

anyway the clues, again

*One Team makes an unprecedented mistake that prohibits them from joining their fellow Racers at the finish line*ONE TEAM MAKES AN UNPRECEDENTED MISTAKE ON THE ROAD THAT COSTS THEM DEARLY*the 13th season will include a series of firsts for the reality competition, including a mistake that ultimately prohibited one team from joining their fellow racers at the finish line*and one Team makes an unprecedented mistake on the road that ultimately prohibits them from joining their fellow Racers at the finish line.**Phil: one team lost some important documentation and some valuables that was ultimately detrimental to their situation in the race, not good not good at all", and then "we make sure everybody gets home safe and sound".** BVM: In addition, the season also happened to play out as one of the few The Amazing Race editions in which one of the competing teams failed to make it to the course's finish line -- an unexpected development that was welcomed by van Munster. "I like it when people don't make it to the finish line," he said

In reading these clues, I find the wording a little strange - saying that one team is ULTIMATELY prohibited from being at the finish line. The word "ultimately" is used by different people. It almost seems that the team is not immediately eliminated. I'm starting to think now that Dan/Andrew are eliminated next (and used as decoys in Portland) and that it comes down to whether the team with the lost passports can get replacements in time. Obviously, they don't. I think we my be looking at a 2 team finale, with Ken and Tina in it for sure. I'm also betting that the "Peter Pan" comment is directed toward Tina in a green outfit on a zipline.

As much as I would want to make it to the pitstop, if I was missing my passport I would search for it. Since they told us in the preview, we can guess the team will know they lost the passport before they make it to the pitstop. If they backtrack at all, seems like they would likely be the 4th place team. Not that we haven't seen teams do stupid things, but every other time a team has forgotten their fanny pack, they didn't continue to the pitstop. They turned around.

bump for the blind and adding that our eyewitness, stacy, thinks the teams she saw were Marisa and Brooke and Terence and Sarah. Marisa and Brooke make no sense to me but hey I wasn't there so what do I know?

Well, I went down there again to check out the scene. Parked my car & lo and behold, what do I see but two people driving away in one of the minivans from the closed off lot. Jumped back in the car to follow it - they drove down to 2nd av. and are parked in front of voodoo donut. I bet they have or will have a shoot there - it's a weird Portland thing. Two people waiting in the car. Wish they would leave so I could follow them some more..

Well, sorry peeps, I had to come back to work.. After about half an hour of waiting, I walked by the van and it is a couple PAs waiting for something. Literally doing a crossword. I did see a conversation they had with what looked like the manager of Voodoo Donut. I went in there to get me a donut and asked the clerk when the Amazing Race was going to be there. He gave me a blank stare - so maybe the staff doesn't know about it, or has been instructed to not answer. Maybe they are just getting donuts for the crew.. who knows. Now I'm back to paying

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Jason writes on May 15th, 2008 3:11amThere was a clue box right in front of VooDoo donuts, I was there today. When nobody was close to coming, the producers would cover the box with a trash bag but when people were nearby, they would uncover the box and shoo anyone away that was standing near it. It was probably one of the last clues if the Pittock Mansion was the last stop.

They are in Portland today. I was on 5th and Salmon outside my office and two different sets of couples ran by (guy/girl and girl/girl) with a camerman and soundman each. It looked too like Amazing Race not to be.

I just ran down the street in Portland following two girls and the camera crew.The went to voodoo doughnuts (for a clue I think) Police talked to producers because fans were running after the racers.They thought someone was running out on a meal bill... the team got into the van and drove off.

They are in Portland today. I was on 5th and Salmon outside my office and two different sets of couples ran by (guy/girl and girl/girl) with a camerman and soundman each. It looked too like Amazing Race not to be.

I know, girl/girl was stupid.....I was a little excited about the siting. I saw them about 1:55pm running North. But, I did notice they looked awfully rested, not frazzled at all....maybe decoys.sammyk

I was waiting to pick my boyfriend up at International arrivals around Noon today. saw a young couple, very fit and attractive and then 2 sisters (they looked related) also young and wearing matching nike workout gear- they definitely stood out, then when a camera crew w/ tons of gear started filming them running thru the terminal, well that's when it clicked! the A.R!! i love the show and had NO idea they might be in PDX. so, my boyfriend saw them in customs and he thought they had come from Moscow before PDX.Cool! can't wait to see it on TV.

i don't recognize the teams i saw from any of those pics- the couple (i am assuming that by the way- could be bro/ sis) she had dark hair, he had dark blond hair. very fit and looked like the had just climbed a mtn.

I followed the girls, and the camera... I would bet money this was a decoy, Sammyk you nailed it. The girls got into a WRP van near the Voodoo Doughnuts, the were asking people along the way where Voodoo was... YET NO CLUE was to be found there. They all got into a van and drove off.

Just talked with a co-worker whose husband was hiking in the Columbia Gorge at about 2:30 pm and saw racing teams, vehicles and a helicopter in the vicinity of Bridge of the Gods. He wasn't sure what it was until she called him about the Portland rumor. Could it be the race?

I work in Cascade Locks, and there is a zip line in place right now from the Bridge of the Gods to Thunder Island. I don't know when they put it up, but it sure wasn't there yesterday! I got there in time to see the camera crews packing up and loading equipment into vans, but a fellow teacher saw two couples ride the zip line down to the island. This was between 2:30-3:30 this afternoon. There were helicopters circling the site, three camera crews at and around the bridge, and they apparently paid the owners of the Charburger restaurant to close for the day so they could secure the parking lot which overlooks the river and the zip line. There were six yellow cabs at the parking lot where the access to the island is, along with more camera crews, and the officer that I talked to said they always stage it so that people don't know for sure how many couples are left. Does that sound reasonable?The other teacher talked to one of the cab drivers, who said he picked up two people at the airport from an overseas flight, took them to Newberg where they "ran around and looked for a clue", then drove them to Cascade Locks. For some reason someone asked him if this was Fear Factor, but he said it was more like a scavenger hunt. Apparently he has not actually seen Amazing Race himself, so didn't know anything about the usual process.

I saw TAR teams today as well at PDX. I drive the international buses at PDX but not today. However, I was driving the terminal parking lot buses today and saw a camera man /sound man running after a very tan blond woman in a florescent green sporty outfit, backpack and one of those TAR clue cards (?) in her hand just about the time the Germany flight would have landed. They were getting a taxi here at PDX. I had to keep my eyes on my driving but a person in the bus said they were from The Amazing Race.

My next loop around (20 minutes later), I arrived at the terminal and saw more teams grabbing a taxi. Fortunately I was driving the Employee lot bus and one of the supervisors (who got on camera & had to sign a TAR release for TV) confirmed that the teams in fact were from TAR and got off the Lufthansa flight from Germany to Portland OR. They were headed up to Washington state. He also said there were only 4 teams and perhaps the other two teams went up via Seattle first - but that of course is purely speculation.

With many thanks to our incredible Portland photographer who has been hard at work on our behalf!!

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I'm pleased to report that I saw a male-male team in downtown Portland this evening (peach: that would be 5/14) at about 6:00 local time. A cameraman and a sound man were following them.

I saw them head west along Alder, then south on 10th, then east on Morrison. They asked for directions at the food carts that occupy the parking lot north of Alder, and they looked at a metal map kiosk at the corner of 10th and Morrison.

They looked to be mid to late 20s or even maybe early 30s. Both were wearing khaki trousers; the taller one was slightly heavyset and had reddish curly hair and was wearing a baseball cap and a blue T-shirt. The other had blonde to sandy blonde hair and no hat. Both had backpacks.What struck me, though, was how slowly they were moving compared to my expections. They certainly were not running. I don't know if this means they are a decoy, or that they are real but exhausted, or that they are real and in last place, or what.

I often buy magazines at a store on 9th & Alder, so I asked the cashier there if I knew anything about TAR in Portland. He said, "Oh, is that what that was?" I said, "Is that what WHAT was?" He said he had seen a male and a female plus two-man crew also proceeding along Alder. I asked him when that was. He said about two hours previously, which puts it at around 4:00 p.m. I asked him if he recalled any other details; he said he did not, except that the girl was pretty. :-/I did not have a camera with me, but where they were is VERY central location; and while Portland is considerably less densely occupied than, say, LA or even Denver, I will be very surprised if no one here managed to take a reasonable picture of at least one of the teams.

I asked our source if these guys could maybe be who he saw?

And so sadly, since we don't even know their names yet (that seems so wrong somehow!), he replied:

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Oooh! Yes, I do think so! Their relative heights and hair colors match!

I think any and all teams except the final 2/3 could have been run as decoy this time, there were extenuating circumstances and TPTB were aware of that.

Were the final 2/3 also collecting a clue at Voodoo doughnut? Or maybe not?

There were decoys also run after the mat, as we have said for months.

I always thought the "sisters" in matching Nike could also have been Christy/Kelly until Stacey said blonde...wish she would come back to see some pics! If you are new here, these sightings were done long before we had the cast reveal, so we didn't know the teams then.

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stacy looked at the photos and she thinks the "sisters" were Marisa and Brooke but like you peach I think it was Kelly and Christy but like I said, I wasn't there so what do I know?

Also I agree, The Frats are most likely running decoy and I do not think TPTB would not risk or run one of the final 2/3 whatever the case maybe as decoys.I agree and in my opinion, its most likely the Frats that lost their documents.I think the voice overs in the web promo is put there to throw us off as in misdirection, they are not going to give it away.I also agree that the clip of the Frats at the Pittock Mansion is most likely a insider clip/ confessional by the Frats talking about all their mistakes and laughing about it as they have been doing. Then again I am grasping at straws like patlini, lol. Maybe I'm twisting it for my own selfishness for a great outcome

stacy looked at the photos and she thinks the "sisters" were Marisa and Brooke but like you peach I think it was Kelly and Christy but like I said, I wasn't there so what do I know?

Also I agree, The Frats are most likely running decoy and I do not think TPTB would not risk or run one of the final 2/3 whatever the case maybe as decoys.I agree and in my opinion, its most likely the Frats that lost their documents.I think the voice overs in the web promo is put there to throw us off as in misdirection, they are not going to give it away.I also agree that the clip of the Frats at the Pittock Mansion is most likely a insider clip/ confessional by the Frats talking about all their mistakes and laughing about it as they have been doing. Then again I am grasping at straws like patlini, lol. Maybe I'm twisting it for my own selfishness for a great outcome

If I were deciding on teams to run in Portland as decoys, I would not use anyone in the top 4. It would be difficult for the 4th place team to get to Portland in a timely fashion (w/ passports), meet with other decoys and do their other tasks. Plus they must be at the Finish when the top 3 arrive.

I would send the decoy teams out of the Portland airport a few hours before the actual top 3 arrive to throw off people like us.

I'm not sure what you mean gator? Circumstances were different, TPTB knew that some of us knew *peach cough peach* where the finish line was before they finished, like a whole day before, plus reporters where hot on their tails so who ran as decoy's remains to be seen.

(Its for us to decide which were decoys and which were the real thing. My take, based on witnesses sightings, is that the downtown Portland sightings were decoys but, can't be determined either way.)

* I was on 5th and Salmon outside my office and two different sets of couples ran by (guy/girl and girl/girl) with a camerman and soundman each. I saw them about 1:55pm running North

*I just ran down the street in Portland following two girls and the camera crew.The went to voodoo doughnuts (for a clue I think)** Two girls and a camera crew ran through downtown this afternoon at 2:30

*I saw a rather attractive couple/team running west on SW Alder @ 5th at approx 4pm. The sound guy didnít look very happy. As in he was really out of shape and was having a hard time keeping up.

*I saw one of the teams running down 10th towards the Pearl as I was exiting the Pittock Building at about 4 p.m on Wednesday. This was before I knew they were in town. Youngish male and female with back packs, fanny packs w/AR logo

*I'm pleased to report that I saw a male-male team in downtown Portland this evening **They looked to be mid to late 20s or even maybe early 30s. Both were wearing khaki trousers; the taller one was slightly heavyset and had reddish curly hair and was wearing a baseball cap and a blue T-shirt. The other had blonde to sandy blonde hair and no hat. Both had backpacks. *** I asked the cashier there if I knew anything about TAR in Portland. He said, "Oh,is that what that was?" I said, "Is that what WHAT was?" He said he had seen a male and a female**** I asked him if he recalled any other details; he said he did not, except that the girl was pretty

*PDX: saw a young couple, very fit and attractive and then 2 sisters (they looked related) also young and wearing matching nike workout gear- they definitely stood out(reply when asked to look at the contestant pictures)**i don't recognize the teams i saw from any of those pics- the couple (i am assuming that by the way- could be bro/ sis) she had dark hair, he had dark blond hair. very fit and looked like the had just climbed a mtn***Yes- sisters were blond!

*I saw TAR teams today as well at PDX.** a very tan blond woman in a florescent green sporty outfit, backpack and one of those TAR clue cards (?) in her hand ***I arrived at the terminal and saw more teams grabbing a taxi.****He also said there were only 4 teams and perhaps the other two teams went up via Seattle first - but that of course is purely speculation

So Andrew & Dan might be eliminated this leg and be a decoy team. Ken & Tina definitely make it to the finals. That leaves us with Nick & Starr and Toni & Dallas. Just in case there really is a jinx, I'm going to say that I hope Nick & Starr aren't the team to lose their money & passports.

So Andrew & Dan might be eliminated this leg and be a decoy team. Ken & Tina definitely make it to the finals. That leaves us with Nick & Starr and Toni & Dallas. Just in case there really is a jinx, I'm going to say that I hope Nick & Starr aren't the team to lose their money & passports.

Belle Book

In my fantasy Dandrew are the ones eliminated but I don't think its the case. I hate hate hate to admit it but I'm really leaning towards Toni and Dallas losing their documents